In case you ever want to take a bus in Thailand, here is the way to go: Wave at the reckless banger passing by, run after it (yes, even if you are wearing heels and there are muddy streams and holes all over the place. Girls, get a grip!), get hold of a prominent structure – namely a bar – and climb on board while the thing is already racing off. If you have managed to keep you balance until then, spot a seat, preferably near a functioning fan or a window so you can greet your crowds of admirers on the way. It’s a good way to kill time when you are stuck in a traffic jam. If the eventuality occurs that there’s no available seat, grasp the roof bar firmly and wish for better days while scanning your bag for coins. That’s when the ticket lady/guy comes into the picture. A person in blue pajama-like uniform will approach you: don’t be scared, all they want is your money! They do look creepy sometimes, I must say. You usually get a grumpy woman who tries to speak Issan instead of Thai to you, although you are obviously unlikely to be from a north-eastern Thai village…You get a tiny piece of paper as a ticket that you can either stuff into your wallet or stack in a random pocket. Sat next to a sleepy woman in a similar pajama-like uniform, grey this one, you then watch out for your stop.  When you think you are getting near your destination (it’s all a matter of approximation), reach out for the red button somewhere on the roof or above the open space left by the door. As soon as you get a chance to do so, be it in the middle of the road, jump off and pray for your life, for you may very well be run over by a motorcycle. There you are, you survived this one!!

I have to pay tribute to ticket ladies/guys here. They are true characters of city life in Bangkok. You can’t but feel for them. Well I can’t. These people basically spend their lives walking up and down busses alleys. Their primary duty is to ensure that everyone pays the due fee, and they keep a clinging metallic box for that purpose. That box is THE ultimate accessory; it is treasured and personalized, often wrapped in some colourful glittery paper. They can evaluate a pile of coins at a glance and throw them artfully into appropriate compartments. Their gestures are so fascinating. So is the way they lean out of the door to get the attention of potential passengers.  One of the essential qualities of a good ticket lady/guy is an attractive voice, as they shout the destinations on top of their voice to cover the roaring of the engine. Some of them literally belch the names out with incredible high pitches. I don’t recommend those as a morning treat on the way to work. Of course, there are all kinds of figures on the ticket selling scene but some are monumental in my eyes. Let’s be honest: you mostly get frustrated middle-aged ladies who mumble the price and give you a complacent look as they count your change. So there is them lot, and there is my favourite ticket guy. Outstanding indeed. He is this ever-smiling, mild-mannered man who knows everyone on the route the bus travels and makes you feel like a privileged guest even in the busiest of times. You can tell that he loves being on the road and he loves each of his passengers as part of a composition that is his world. A journey on this bus is a different experience altogether, one of smoothness. I admire the way this man seems to create waves of friendliness and even familiarity. That’s it, he makes me feel safe and cared for, and that in the middle of a notoriously hectic city.

Today, one of my students was "happyyyyyy". Well, she's always so restless that I didn't notice anything unusual about her but I should have. (By the way, she's the one who suggested that I might be a relative of Harry Potter's and she would never believe that I actually never met him at all. She seems to be fascinated by me, for some reason.)
So, she was just elated because she won't have to dance with the other girls at the festival. She told me that she was too fat and they couldn't find a fitting costume for her. It was a delightful moment to watch her explain it in her comic manner, with few words and much gestures.

I remember talking to her after class once. She was eating a fried snack, and obviously enjoying it, sucking her fingers and looking desperately at the soon-to-be-empty package. Our eyes met and she said out of the blue : "You know, teacher, I'm fat. You see ? (lifting her shirt to show her belly). But I like eating sooooo much" And her round face gave me one of her special mischievious smiles.

I like to imagine the students'future and I can perfectly picture this girl as an actress.